


Prophet

by GreatDane



Category: Black Veil Brides, Falling in Reverse, Pierce the Veil
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gangsters, Drama, F/M, Fanfiction, Humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-06
Updated: 2015-11-25
Packaged: 2018-04-30 07:26:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5155316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreatDane/pseuds/GreatDane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the beginning I relished in it. My barely developed self relished in the constant smothering of my father and his friends, who were always showering me with affection and care. Nothing was ever more than an inch away from my fingertips. However, the masses of male attention could never make up for the lack of that of a mother. My mom was taken away from us a year after I was born. She perished in the war waging between my father and his rivals - a happening my father vowed to never let happen to me. Every move I made was surveilled by either him or a bodyguard. But as I grew older, the protective bonds wrapped around me started getting suffocating, growing tighter and tighter around my ribcage as I grew. I wasn’t allowed to go to a public school. I wasn't allowed to go anywhere alone. By now I was getting tired of always standing on the tip of my toes to look across the shoulder of the bodyguard standing in front of me. Of being kept in my room when “business” was going down in my father’s office. My phone was stocked with the numbers of my family, but never the numbers of peers. But as much as I hated it, I loved my father more. I loved my family more. And I could handle it. Or at least that’s what I thought.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The crisp October air whisked softly around me, toying with loose strands of my hair while raising goosebumps on my skin, despite the two layers of blanket wrapped tightly around me. A now lukewarm cup of tea was clutched in my grasp, having been quickly chilled by the low temperature. I was perched on the thick ledge of my balcony with one leg draped across the edge, breathing in the fresh air. Chilly mornings were my favorite thing, and although my father continuously warned me about pneumonia and frostbite (a slight exaggeration, might I add), I was still often to be found out here. It was the perfect place to clear my head whenever the atmosphere inside got too heavy, or if I just needed to be alone. 

Unfortunately, the peaceful silence was broken by the glass door behind me being slid open. “Out here again, huh?” Ronnie asked knowingly before taking a seat on the opposite side of the ledge. I shrugged and took a sip of the tea, though cringing at the cold, bitter taste. “It’s nice out here.” He hummed in agreement, but otherwise fell silent as he turned to gaze at our spacious backyard, which was currently bathed in a heavy, transparent fog. “You should listen to your dad, though. You could get sick,” he added soon after, and I rolled my eyes at his fuzzing. “I’m wearing blankets,” I protested, but quickly considered it a lost battle as I took in his raised eyebrows and smug smile. He swiftly grabbed the mug from my grasp and pulled me to my feet. “Inside. Now.” I heaved a sigh, but followed him down into the living room anyway. 

“Have you had any breakfast yet?” he asked with his back facing me, already scrambling through the stocked cupboards. Time often ran like sand through my fingers when I was caught up doing something I loved, so I was surprised to see that it was already 9:30 a.m. “Uh, no,” I admitted sheepishly before hopping onto a barstool by the kitchen island. Ronnie hummed in disappointment, and within minutes the scent of frying eggs emitted from the stove. One by one we were joined by Vic, Jake, Jinxx and Jaime. As was very usual in the morning, their appearances were a mess; tousled hair, ruffled clothes and tired eyes. “This is too fucking early,” Jaime moaned, but he immediately received a harsh slap to the back of his head. “Language!” Jake scolded as he sent a pointed nod in my direction. I rolled my eyes. As if I hadn’t heard the word ‘fuck’ at least a thousand times in the 12 years I had been surrounded by these idiots. 

“Here.” Ronnie put down a plate in front of me with some eggs and bacon, and the boys instantly moaned about having to make their own breakfast. While poking my scrambled eggs with mild disinterest, I lazily let my gaze fall on the boys in front of me, but crinkled my brow in confusion. “Where’s dad?” I asked no one in particular - Jinxx was the one to answer. “Out with Outlaw and CC.” I put down my fork and sighed. They were always so goddamn vague. “It’s nothing you should worry about,” Vic promised when he saw the look on my face, but their various assurances had honestly suffered major inflation by now. “Of course not,” I mumbled, but obediently picked my fork back up and started eating. A relaxed silence lingered between us all for a few moments, before Jinxx decided to break it. 

“Are you excited for tonight?” he asked through a mouth full of toast, and I cringed in disgust. “Uh, sure. Who’s coming?” The guys all immediately sent each other not-so-discreet looks of desperation, and I couldn’t help but giggle. Every time I had a concert coming up, this happened. It was safe to say that classical music wasn’t exactly their thing. “I’m coming,” Jinxx said with genuine enthusiasm, which was only to be expected, since he was the one who bought me my very first violin and taught me the basics. “Yeah, me too,” Vic sighed with his eyes downcast, which caused Jaime to snicker. “What about dad?” My question rang clearly throughout the kitchen, but the guys all fell silent. However, their silence was answer enough, and I allowed myself to be crestfallen for a moment before chuckling bitterly. “Of course not.”

I pointedly ignored their sympathetic looks as I hopped off the stool and marched back up to my room. Since I had nothing better to do, I decided to put my music sheets in order - so I plugged in my earphones and declared myself dead to the world for half an hour or so. Just as I had splayed the various sheets across my carpeted floor, however, a knock on the door interrupted me. “Yeah?” I asked loudly through the music playing in my ears. The door opened without an answer, and I immediately jumped up as I saw my dad walking into the room, running a hand through his already disheveled hair. “Hey, baby girl,” he cooed as he picked me up and swung me around. Wordlessly I buried my face in his leather-clad chest and breathed in the familiar scent of cologne and smoke. When he finally set me down, he sent me a smug smile and asked: “Missed me?” 

I playfully rolled my eyes and replied: “You wish.” His deep chuckle resonated throughout the room, and I allowed myself a second to take in his appearance. As always, he was wearing black ripped skinny jeans and a leather vest, but I frowned as I finally noticed the blossoming bruise developing underneath his left eye. He must have been in a fight again. His facial expression showed no indication that he noticed my scrutinizing gaze as he merely sat crosslegged in front of me on the carpet. “I’m sorry I can’t make it tonight, baby,” he said apologetically, his cerulean eyes much like my own opened wide in a pleading look. And although it was a look I had been sent a million times, it still worked. “’s alright,” I shrugged, although the words tasted bitter on my tongue. My eyes were cast to the ground, so it was unexpected when my dad pulled me onto his lap. “Look, I know how much it means to you, and I prom-“ he cut himself off to bite his lip regrettably before continuing: “I’ll try really hard to be there the next time.” His calloused fingers brushed the hair away from my eyes, and I gazed into his genuine eyes with a small smile playing on my lips. Soft lips met the top of my head, and he mumbled into my hair: “I love you, Prophet.” Vibrations resonated all the way down my spine, and I tightened my grip around him. “I love you too, dad.”

…

Three hours later I was sat in the backseat of my father’s Range Rover, which was occupied by myself and the four bodyguards who volunteered to accompany me to the classical concert. Jinxx and Vic were there just as they promised, although Vic most likely joined out of pity. Ronnie was always supportive of anything I did, even if it meant he had to sit through two hours of classical music. And Jaime… Well. Jaime had nothing better to do, I guess. The leather squeaked beneath his butt as Jaime turned around in his seat to look back at me. “Excited?” he asked with a wide smile on his face. “Of course,” I chuckled, clutching the violin case tighter within my arms. Despite the 7 years I had been doing this, butterflies still erupted in my stomach every time I had to do a show - although by now they were more out of excitement than dread. 

“Here we are,” Jinxx declared enthusiastically as he twisted the key from the ignition. “Yay…” Vic mumbled quietly, and I stifled a laugh at his reluctance to be here. “Aw, come on,” Jaime grinned as he hooked Vic’s arm beneath his own. “It’s gonna be fun!” I snorted at his exclamation, and Ronnie shot me a toothy smile. “Two hours full of fun,” he agreed. I rolled my eyes at their antics as I hitched the violin case on my back further up. “I’m gonna go backstage now, guys,” I declared with a pointed nod of my head. “Be good.” They all mock-saluted me, and as I sighed, I briefly noticed how much they stood out from the crowd. As always, they were dressed in leather with ink and eyeliner staining their skin. Every single one of them was at least a foot taller than everyone else, but paid no attention to the poorly concealed incredulous glances thrown their way. So before they could embarrass me any further, I followed the carpeted hallway to the rehearsal room. 

 

Before I knew it I was on stage once again, resting my chin on the familiar piece of wood with my fingers clutching the bow tightly, caressing the strings with practiced ease. The guys continued to cheer embarrassingly loud after each piece, and every time I grunted in annoyance. A particular elderly woman on the seat behind them seemed very eager to give them a piece of her mind, but the tattoos crawling up their necks probably kept her from doing so. Luckily, the last 12 years of my existence had given me enough practice to be able to drown out their distracting behavior. Once the concert was over and I had changed back into my casual clothes, I threw a quick wave at the conductor before exiting the dressing room. However, a familiar leather-clad chest blocked my path, and before I knew it, I was clutched tightly in their arms and thrown lightly into the air. “There’s our rockstar!” Jaime proclaimed proudly, and I blushed when several people around us sent us curious glances. “Stop it,” I mumbled into his chest, causing Ronnie and Vic to laugh. “Aww, she’s embarrassed by our signs of affection,” Vic cooed before ruffling my hair. “Guys,” I whined, reaching up to smooth the stray hairs back into place. 

I was confused by their lack of answer, and when I looked back at them, they were all staring in the same direction with their arms crossed over their chests. “Uh, Prophet?” a light male voice asked, which I recognized immediately. “David,” I greeted with a curt nod. He wrung his hands nervously as he always did when put under pressure by our conductor, and I pitied the poor thing as he eyed the men in front of me warily. “I, uh… just wanted to say that, uh… you did great. Again.” He blushed slightly as Ronnie narrowed his eyes at him, but I quickly put a calming hand on Ronnie’s shoulder. “Thanks,” I smiled, although praying that he caught the signal I was trying to send him - that this conversation should be cut short, for everybody’s sake. “So did you,” I added, right before offering him a quick goodbye and gesturing for the guys to follow me, which they happily did.

As soon as we stepped outside, we all took in deep breaths of the fresh air in relief after being confined in the stuffy halls for two hours. But the silence didn’t last long. “Now,” Vic began as he slung his heavy arm around my shoulder, “remember what we taught you?” He looked at me expectantly as I sighed in annoyance while trying to shrug his shoulder off of me, though to no avail. “Boys are gross,” I mumbled in irritation, only to have my shoulder squeezed in approval. 

“That’s our girl.”


	2. Chapter 2

I awoke to the soft patter of rain drumming against my skylight slowly drawing me out of my dreams. A quick squint at the phone resting on my bedside table told me it was only 6:36 a.m., which explained the darkness still looming outside. In a swift motion I pulled the pillow over my face and groaned into it, cursing my inability to go back to sleep; especially since no one else was going to be awake at this hour. With tired limbs I rolled out of bed and stumbled downstairs, fully expecting the living room to be empty. However, I was met with the sight of my father shrugging on his coat, already half-way through the front door. “Dad?” I croaked in my morning voice, tiredly rubbing the remaining sand out of my eyes.

He turned around quickly with a surprised look on his face. “Baby,” he mumbled before walking over to me in three long strides. “I thought you were still asleep,” he said quietly, obviously trying not to wake the remaining residents of the house. I ignored his question and instead asked him one of my own: “Where are you going?” He glanced at the car waiting for him at the end of the driveway with a sigh before facing me once more. “I have to leave for a couple of days, sweetie,” he said apologetically, rubbing the back of his neck. My stomach sank at his words. I had only just gotten him back after leaving for a week and a half, and now he was leaving again. “Oh, sweetie,” he sighed as he pulled me into a hug, rubbing my back comfortably with his freezing hands. “This is the last one in a long time, I swear.” I hummed in acceptance, although we both knew it was most likely a lie. As much as I loved the life my father’s work allowed me to live, I would rather have him by my side than anywhere else in the entire world.

The driver of the car honked loudly, and my dad turned around to send him a dirty look before flipping him off. “I have to go, baby,” he mumbled, reluctantly buttoning the last buttons on his coat. For a split second I was tempted to beg him to stay, but after years of trying, I had a pretty good idea of how little effect it would have - so I kept my mouth shut. He threw me a final ‘I love you’ before sliding into the car and speeding down the street. For a few minutes I stayed in the same spot in the hall, merely glancing into the horizon where my father’s car disappeared moments ago, standing close enough to observe the way my breath formed small patches of condense on the cool window.

“Prophet?” I almost jumped three feet into the air as Outlaw’s voice interrupted my reverie. He chuckled and raised his hands in mock-surrender before saying: “Just me, jeez.” I rolled my eyes and wordlessly stalked into the kitchen, still feeling melancholic as a result of my father’s departure. Outlaw’s long legs quickly brought him into my pace, and he reached the kitchen before I did. “Why are you up so early anyways?” I asked curiously after perching myself on my self-proclaimed barstool. With his head still inside the refrigerator, he merely shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep,” he said when he finally emerged with a carton of milk and some juice. “Know the feeling,” I mumbled.

 

Once we finished our breakfast, Outlaw disappeared back into his own room, leaving me to myself once again. For a few minutes I wandered around the spacious halls alone, mulling over the scarce activities I could spend my time on. Everyone else was still asleep, and there was never really anything exciting to do alone. When I reached the second floor, the grand piano adorning the ledge of the staircase drew me in, and within seconds I found myself sliding onto the velvet of the piano stool. The noise would probably wake everyone up, but what better way is there to wake up than by the beautiful sound of classical music anyway? With a small smirk on my face I briefly felt up the cool keys before playing the most basic song I knew: Für Elise.

My short-term prediction quickly came true - by the second piece I played, groans and sluggish footsteps could be heard resonating against the marble-adorned hallway. “Goddamnit, Prophet,” CC groaned as the first to emerge from his room. “Morning to you, too,” I grinned, not yet stopping the increasingly complicated music. “I swear to God…” was the next thing I heard, and I didn’t have to turn my head to recognize the annoyed version of Jaime’s voice. When Vic finally emerged from his room, I decided to join them downstairs instead of sitting on the second floor on my own. Instinctively, I headed towards Jaime’s lap, which was always where I found myself sitting for some reason, but he held out his hands to stop me once he figured out my motive. “Nuh-uh,” he scolded with a shake of his head, “not after the rude awakening this morning.” I pouted. “Aww, come here,” Outlaw offered quickly, and I had to do a double-check since I didn’t even see him entering the living room. With a mildly disinterested shrug, I slung myself across his lap and adjusted into a comfortable position.

“Do you know where dad went?” was the first thing that came out of my mouth, to my own surprise. “And don’t give me any of those vague answers like you always do,” I warned when Vic opened his mouth to answer. The boys chuckled, despite the seriousness in my voice. “He’s in Britain,” CC finally said after throwing down the remote, for once settling on a channel he wanted to watch. “Britain?” I asked incredulously. For all I knew he only travelled domestically - I had no idea he ever travelled that far for business. “Yeah. He’s… expanding,” Jaime continued, to which I raised my eyebrows.

“I see,” I finally answered dryly, suddenly offended that they hadn’t let me in on that piece of information, although they hardly ever let me in on anything. Outlaw grinned and ruffled my hair. “Maybe you get to go there, too. Like… I don’t know, a vacation?” he offered in a poor attempt to sweeten the news. “Mhm,” I grumbled. Vic’s phone started vibrating on the coffee table, and he quickly excused himself before answering. The guys all wordlessly stared at the TV with little to no interest, while I merely focused on the way Outlaw’s hands ran through my hair mindlessly, almost lulling me back to sleep.

“So,” I finally sighed as to not let myself go back to sleep, “What do you wanna do today?” Everybody shrugged, but offered no answer, so I settled with watching the news that were currently being aired. Vic strolled back into the living room, but continued towards the front door with a briefcase in hand. “Where are you going?” I asked curiously. He shared a brief eye-contact with Jaime before answering. “Gotta make a delivery,” he said, gesturing to the briefcase. “And I’m not allowed to know what it is, right?” I asked, already knowing the answer. “Not a chance in Hell,” CC chuckled, and I crossed my arms with a pout. “I don’t know why I even bother asking anymore,” I grumbled, and the guys cooed at my sour mood, only making me more angry. “Well, you’re persistent, that’s for sure. Just like your mom,” Jaime said, which caused a small smile to break out on my face. Even though I had no memory of her, I was always told that she was the most beautiful and kind-hearted woman in the entire world - and whenever they compared me to her, my heart swelled with pride.

Outlaw squeezed me gently as opposed to a hug, since I was still slung across his lap. “See ya,” Vic called out with a wave before leaving. “Ooh!” I exclaimed in excitement when I finally came up with an idea for us to do. The boys eyed me warily before I even spoke my idea, and I rolled my eyes. “We could watch Toy Story!” Everybody groaned, but knew better than to dismiss my bright ideas, since they would always either face my father’s anger or my own. I searched through the overflowing cabinet for a few seconds before plucking out the right DVD and sliding it into the PS4 the guys spent so much time playing on.

“The third one?” Outlaw asked dryly, and I grinned before patting his cheek comfortingly. It was no secret that the ending of that movie always left me in a puddle of tears, and it usually took someone up to an hour to calm me down.

 

“I’ll control myself, I promise.”

 

I know this chapter isn't the most interesting, but something's gonna happen in the next one, I promise!


	3. Chapter 3

A couple of days passed without a single word from my father, which wasn’t entirely unusual. Cereal and frozen pizza had been on the menu every single night, since no one had any cooking skills whatsoever, but I didn’t mind too much - and for some reason the guys all seemed on edge. But as always, I knew better than to voice my concern. It was now Tuesday, and my private teacher had just gone home for the day. I rolled my shoulders in an attempt to get rid of the accumulated tension before opening the door to my room. To my surprise, Jake was running back and forth, grabbing random pieces of clothing and various electronic devices before chucking them into an open suitcase thrown onto my bed. “What are you-“ He interrupted my question by throwing my passport into my unprepared hands, almost causing me to drop it. “Make sure I’ve gotten everything and then come downstairs,” he ordered quickly as he placed a kiss on the top of my head before shuffling down the carpeted hallway. I stared at his retreating figure in confusion for a moment, but then did as he said. Slowly, I walked over to the suitcase and glanced down into it - underwear, chargers and soaps were thrown into it messily, and I frowned at Jake’s carelessness.

However, my mind quickly started racing, wondering what the reason for our sudden departure was. An impromptu weird holiday? Did they do something bad and we had to leave the country? Or maybe something had happened to my dad. The latter thought had my pulse accelerating through the roof, and I raced downstairs where only Jake and Jinxx were left waiting for me. “Did something happen to dad?” I asked worriedly, shifting my gaze between the two of them frantically. “No, not at all,” Jinxx assured me as Jake went upstairs to retrieve my suitcase. “He just needs our help with something, and we can’t exactly leave you alone, so…” he trailed off. I nodded slowly, mentally debating whether he was telling the truth or lying to spare my feelings. But either way, I quickly decided that I might as well come with as fast as possible. There never was a reason to meet trouble halfway, so I ran to the van waiting at the end of our driveway and scooted myself across several laps before buckling in between Outlaw and Vic.

We quickly made it to the airport and boarded the plane easily, although numerous employees stared at the guys as though they were terrorists, much to my amusement. But to my horror, the flight lasted 11 straight hours, most of which were spent worrying, whining, watching R-rated movies without anyone’s knowledge and begging to know when we got there. By the last hour, everyone but Jinxx had denied all relations with me in pure embarrassment. “Oh, thank God,” came a unanimous chorus as we stepped off the plane and gathered our luggage. A heavy wave of exhaustion overcame me as soon as we stepped into the fresh air, which Jaime soon took notice of before picking me up and carrying me to our next destination. The adrenaline pulsing through my veins must have been keeping me awake for the past 24 or so. Before I knew it, my eyes drooped shut and I was out.

…

Being placed on a cool, soft mattress slowly woke me from my slumber, even though the person carrying me obviously tried very hard not to wake me. I rubbed my eyes tiredly and scanned the hotel room through my blurred vision. Jaime was the one who placed me on the bed, and he soon after crawled into the bed next to mine wordlessly. Despite itching for more information on what the hell was going on, the silent darkness looming in the room soon lulled me back to sleep.

…

An hour or so later I woke up once again, this time unable to go back to sleep. The alarm clock read 03:22 in bright green letters, and I sighed before quietly pulling the thin duvet off me. Jaime was snoring softly next to me, soundly asleep. I spent a good ten minutes merely sitting on the edge of the bed, frustrated at the boredom and lack of information I could be given since the guys were still asleep. The door on the other side of the room silently taunted me, begging me to go outside and explore since I had nothing better to do, but I remained in my spot out of fear for the consequences that would undoubtedly follow if I went outside on my own. However, I soon concluded that there was no real danger in a country where no one knew of my father and would be tempted to kidnap me for bait or whatever. Plus, I was bored as hell.

So, as quietly as I possibly could, I shrugged on a jacket and my shoes before opening the door softly, cringing as it squeaked a tiny bit. I turned to see if Jaime had woken up, but he still seemed to be soundly asleep. The hideous carpet in the hallway muted my steps as I squinted at the harsh lighting. As long as I stayed on the hotel’s perimeter, nothing would happen. I hoped. The hotel was silent as I moved down the long hallway, curiously observing the various paintings hanging on the wall before stepping into the elevator and riding it down to the lobby. A soft ding sounded as the doors slid open, giving me the perfect view of the front desk, where a young man was typing away on the computer. He looked to me as I stepped out of the elevator and crinkled his brow in confusion. “Shouldn’t you be asleep?” he asked kindly as he checked the time on his watch. I slightly panicked as I realized he could force me back to my room and tell the guys that I went out alone at night, but somehow managed to keep calm and formulate a casual answer.

“Nah, they allowed me to go breathe some fresh air,” I answered with a shrug before heading straight towards the front door, hopefully cutting off whatever reply he may have had. “Grade-A parenting,” he muttered quietly, and I snorted. The low temperature caught me off-guard, causing me to immediately tighten my jacket around me. The streets were mostly empty and silent, and I quickly found a bench bathed in a yellow-tinged light cast by a nearby lamp-post where I sat down. I closed my eyes and breathed in the cold air, praying that wherever my dad was, he was alright.

Soft footsteps soon approached me, and I immediately snapped my eyes open before turning my head to look at whoever was headed my way. A tall, lanky man in a casual suit was headed directly towards me, his hands stuffed in his pockets. All thoughts of self-defense raced through my mind, but for some reason I stupidly decided that it would be alright to have a companion, whose butt I would be able to kick, should the need present itself. As he came closer, his features became more illuminated. The scarce amount of bare skin was dipped in tattoos, and his face seemed young and friendly. I scooted over to give him some room to sit, which he did with a kind smile. “Thanks,” he grinned before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a packet of cigarettes. “Do you mind?” he asked, but I shook my head no - God knows how much second-hand smoke I’ve inhaled because of my father.

He inhaled deeply and turned to look at me. “Why are you out here alone?” His British accent sounded strange, yet interesting. I shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep.” There was probably no reason not to tell this stranger the truth, since I would most likely never see him again anyways. He nodded wordlessly before taking another drag of the cigarette. “I’m Oli,” he said after a few minutes of silence, sticking his hand out to me. I was confused by his introduction, but decided to play along with it. “Prophet,” I answered as I shook his hand, though soon regretted it as I remembered being told never to give out my name to strangers. He raised his eyebrows before giving me a quick once-over, causing me to cower away from his prying eyes slightly.

“You’re Biersack’s kid?” he asked soon after, and I widened my eyes in surprise. As I so often did, I ignored his question to ask him one of my own. “You know my dad?” A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he scratched thoughtfully at his scruff. “I do,” he nodded. “I’m a… loyal costumer, if you will.” My protective barriers slowly faded as I threw all caution to the wind - if this man knew something about my dad that I didn't, I wanted to know about it. “I’m the one who invited him over here, actually,” he chuckled. Dumbfounded, I merely stared at him as he typed away on his phone for a few seconds before tucking it away once more.

“Sorry 'bout that. I came here to speak to someone named Outlaw and CC. They should be out here in a minute or so, I just texted them.” My pulse immediately quickened as I remembered what trouble I would be in if they saw me out here - especially in this stranger's company. So without asking the man any more questions, I quickly rose from the bench and began running towards the entrance, hoping to make it back to my room in time before being spotted by any of them. Luck, however, didn’t seem to be on my side.

“Prophet?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if there are any grammatical mistakes, since English isn't my first language. And again, please comment your thoughts on this - it would be greatly appreciated!


	4. Chapter 4

“Um… Hi,” I mumbled shamefully, purposely keeping my gaze fixed on the ground beneath us, awkwardly kicking my foot back and forth. “What the fuck are you doing out here?” Outlaw asked harshly, making me cringe. “And with a goddamned stranger?” CC added, eyeing Oli cautiously, who had been standing off to the side in an awkward silence. “We raised you better than that, Prophet.” I sighed and mumbled an apology. “What if something happened?” CC asked, but it was clearly meant to be a rhetorical question, since he didn’t give me any time to answer before he grabbed me by the upper arm and dragged me into the lobby, where he patiently waited for the elevator with me. Ashley stayed outside, picking up conversation with the tattooed stranger.   
“Sorry,” I sighed, only glancing up when the elevator dinged, signaling its arrival. “We’ll talk about this tomorrow. Now go to sleep - it’s 4 fucking a.m.” I nodded wordlessly before stepping into the empty elevator and riding it to our floor. Once there, I nervously shifted my weight from one leg to the other outside the door, praying to God that Jaime was still asleep. Sucking in a deep breath, I quietly opened the door, but heaved a sigh of relief at the darkness still flooding the room. Soft snores met my ears, and I shrugged off my jacket and shoes before climbing into the soft, cool sheets once more, slowly giving into the jet lag that was messing with my internal clock. 

…

An incessant poking on my cheek woke me from my slumber, and I groggily swatted away the offending finger. Jaime’s deep chuckle soon met my ears before he said: “Time to get up, P.” I groaned, partially at his rude awakening, partially at his nickname for me. “Don’t call me that, Jamie,” I rumbled, purposely mispronouncing his name, only to have him rolling his eyes at me. “Go get some breakfast. Once you’re done the guys and I are leaving - your daddy dearest has hired you a babysitter.” His voice got significantly quieter at the last part, showing his genuine contempt for the idea, and my eyes went wide. Never before had I spent time alone with someone who wasn't part of our small ‘family’, let alone an entire day. One of the guys would always stay behind to look after me, and the others would fill him in afterwards. I frowned. “Why aren’t you staying?” I asked, my voice tinged with sadness, as Jaime shrugged on a t-shirt. “I’d personally love to, and you know that, but the boss clearly underlined the importance of our presence,” he explained before tugging off my duvet, revealing my light blue Batman-pajamas.   
Goosebumps immediately rose on my skin, and with a groan I rolled out of bed and put on a sweater. Jaime soon added: “Plus, someone volunteered.” A small frown matching my own settled on his face - I guess it was safe to say we were equally uncomfortable with leaving me in the hands of a stranger. But who could it be? Dad would never leave my supervision to someone he didn’t trust a hundred percent, and I wasn’t exactly familiar with any of his friends from overseas - except from Oli, obviously, even though we’d only had a brief exchange of words. “Look, it’s gonna be fine, yeah? If anything happens, you can always call me or the others, you know that,” he offered as a poor attempt at comforting me, but I accepted it never the less. “I know.”

…

Within half an hour I was back in the hotel room with a full stomach and nothing to do. The guys had just left, and my “babysitter” was supposed to be here within ten minutes. Nerves racked my body, but I hugged my knees to my chest in an attempt to calm myself. If dad trusted this person, so should I. A few seconds after the thought ran through my head, three loud knocks sounded from the door, and I hesitantly walked over before peering through the peep-hole. Though his image was slightly blurred, I could tell who he was from the tattoos and shaggy hair - Oli. As soon as I opened the door, he strode into the room and got comfortable on Jaime’s bed, where he used the remote to click on the television. “Uh… hello?” I greeted uncertainly, slowly shuffling back to my own bed. “‘Ello,” he smiled with his thick accent, still rushing through the channels that failed to gain his attention. 

I sat back down on my own bed and leaned against the headrest, glancing outside through the silken curtains that barely dimmed the room. The sun was out for a change, casting bright light and long shadows along the sidewalks. And as always, I found myself drowning in boredom. Normally in a situation like this I would feel up my instruments, but I hadn’t brought my violin, and it would be rude to just plug in my earphones and leave Oli to himself. Luckily he broke my train of thought. “What do you wanna do?” he asked after shutting off the television with a sigh, turning his entire body to face me. “I don’t know,” I shrugged, “I haven't exactly been here before. I don’t know what there is to do.” He rolled his eyes. “The UK is not too different from America, you know.” I pressed my lips into a straight line while thinking of what we could do. Shopping? Probably not. Watching television? Obviously not. “How about we go to the park for starters, eh? I ain’t gonna be cooped up in this damn hotel room the entire day,” he offered. With no better ideas, I quickly agreed. 

Once at a nearby park, he bought me an ice cream and lit up a cigarette before sitting down next to me on a bench. In the casual silence that followed, I took my time discreetly investigating his tattoos. Something that had always intrigued me about the other guys were their tattoos and the stories behind them (or lack thereof). Ronnie, for example, had a tattoo of a frog riding a horse on his calf with the words “Ahoy Butternuts” written above in bold letters. The one time I asked what the story behind it was, he got uncomfortable and quickly changed the subject, much to my confusion. However, I had often asked to get one myself, ‘cause I wanted to be just like them, but every time I asked I was always waved off with a chuckle or an eye-roll with the promise of getting some once I turned 18. But then a thought hit me. Maybe Oli would let me get one. “Hey, Oli?” I asked sweetly, batting my dark eyelashes at him when he turned to look at me. “Yeah?” 

“Can I get a tattoo?” His face immediately lit up in a grin before he burst into laughter, almost dropping his cigarette in the progress. I narrowed my eyes at him, crossing my arms over my chest with a pout. There was no need to be rude about it. “Aw, come on,” he smiled once he calmed down. “You’re what, 12? That’s illegal, first of all. And secondly, I’d rather not have my ass handed to me by your dad and his cronies.” Of course. Before I had time to protest, he quickly changed the subject. “We’ll do something else. How about a movie?” I contemplated his suggestion for a minute or so before agreeing. “A’ight. Come on, then,” he urged with a small hand-gesture before standing up. I threw the remainder of the ice cream in the trash since I was full, and Oli quickly grabbed my hand in his own. I raised my eyebrows at him while weakly trying to pry my hand from his tight grip. He shrugged. “Sorry, girl. Orders.” After considering the situation to be a lost cause, I allowed him to drag me to the nearest movie theatre.

 

“Oh my God! They’ve got Insidious Chapter 3!” I gushed once inside the building, where we were browsing the various posters hanging on the wall. Oli raised one of his eyebrows at me. “And why would I let you watch that?” he challenged, but I crossed my arms over my chest defiantly. “Because Ronnie let me watch the others, and now I want to watch that,” I required simply, looking at him expectantly. “But they’ve got, like, Minions and shit. Don’t you wanna watch that?” The word ‘Minions’ sounded like it made him gag, and I smiled at the obvious victory headed my way. “Let me think… no,” I replied flatly after a few moments of fake contemplation. He leaned his head back and groaned, making it fairly obvious that I’d won. “Fine. We’ll watch it. But don’t tell your dad, and don’t run to me crying when you’re having nightmares tonight,” he sighed, and I smirked. The young girl working there eyed me wearily when Oli bought the tickets, but after a few seconds of vomit-inducing flirting between the two, we were let into the theatre. 

We quickly made ourselves comfortable, and I slid the armrest back up so I had room to sling my legs across Oli’s lap, much to his displeasure. “Old habit,” I shrugged, not one bit sorry. “Mhm,” he mumbled, but kept his eyes fixated on the big screen in front of us while a few couples joined us in the theatre. Soon the lights dimmed, and Oli managed to send me a brief smirk before the trailers started. "Remember: don't run to me crying tonight," he whispered, and I rolled my eyes.

As if. 


	5. Chapter 5

Approximately two hours later the credits finally rolled, the dimmed lights brightened once more, and people piled out of the room, their footsteps muffled by the carpeted floor. A few joints popped here and there as I stretched, and my posture was slumped from tiredness once we left the theatre. “I guess that wasn’t too bad,” Oli said, glancing down at my shorter frame to gauge my reaction. “Told ya,” I smirked. Although it was only 5 in the afternoon, the sky had darkened significantly since we arrived, and the cold gusts of wind had me shivering once we stepped outside. “Fuck, it’s cold,” I complained with a shiver, and Oli opened his mouth to reprimand me, although he quickly shut it once again, probably deeming it a lost cause anyway. 

An almost inaudible grumble sounded from my stomach, and my cheeks heated up in embarrassment. “Hungry?” he chuckled before slinging a long arm around my shoulders. “A little,” I shrugged. “There’s a Nando’s not too far from here,” he offered, urging the both of us to walk in a different direction. My fatigue all but disappeared completely at the mentioning of food, and my excitement almost caused the length of my strides to match Oli’s. 

Soon enough a bright red sign shone in the distance, and I would have all but bolted into the restaurant, partly for the food and partly for the warmth, had Oli not grabbed the collar of my shirt in a vise-like grip with a soft chuckle. “Not so fast. I have to be able to see you at all times, remember?” I groaned in annoyance, but managed to shrug off his grip before trudging slowly into the restaurant. After being led to a table in the back by a sweet middle-aged lady and thoroughly scrutinizing the unfamiliar menu, I lazily let my gaze wander across the room in mild disinterest. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary really, and had it not been for the dampened British accents resonating across the room, I could have easily imagined myself to be back in America. However, as my sight grazed the bar at the far right corner of the restaurant, something caught my eye. A man who seemed to be about Oli’s age sat alone on a stool with his gaze fixated entirely on me, letting a strained, tight-lipped smile cross his face as our eyes met. An uneasy feeling instantly settled in the pit of my stomach, and I cleared my throat in the hopes of gaining Oli’s attention. “What’s up, little one?” he asked, finally placing down the menu he'd had his nose buried in for a moment too long. Not uttering a single word, I merely nodded my head towards the stranger as discreetly as I could, hoping he would catch my drift. Never before had someone looked at me with such a disgruntled expression on their face, and it honestly terrified me. 

Luckily, Oli caught my drift and looked to where I pointed, when his smile dropped completely, leaving room for a grim expression to settle on his face instead. “Fuck,” he cursed under his breath. Just as we had stood up to leave, the man walked towards us in confident strides. His dark, shaggy hair contrasted sharply with his bright blue eyes, which were lit up by a friendly, albeit forced, smile. Not a single tattoo marked his skin - a sight that was very rare to me. The stranger grabbed a chair by the backrest and gestured towards our table. “Mind if I join?” he asked politely, although with a harsh undertone demanding compliance. I looked to Oli for help, but he seemed unwilling to cause a scene in such a public place, so he reluctantly agreed before sitting down once more. I did the same, suddenly feeling weighed down by the palpable tension between the two. The stranger’s eyes shifted towards me for a moment before he reached out a hand towards me. “I’m Jordan,” he introduced, and the fear his voice struck in me almost rendered me unable to move, but I managed to shake his hand loosely, uttering a quiet: “Prophet.” 

“Prophet,” he echoed, letting his tight-lipped smile grow wider as he turned his attention towards Oli again. “When did you decide to become a traitor?” he asked, though in a tone far too cheery to match the severity of the question. “Sod off,” Oli hissed through clenched teeth. A chuckle sounded from deep within the stranger’s chest, but I failed to see any trace of humor within the situation. “He’s going to kill you. You know that, don’t you?” Jordan continued. I had no idea who he was referring to, but Oli’s eyes darkened in recognition. Briefly, he bit the inside of his cheek before replying, though with more confidence than last time. “And who’s to say he’s not going to do the same to you?” he challenged. “Once you’re no longer useful, once you’ve outlived your purpose? We all have the potential to become a snitch at one point.”

Jordan quirked a dark eyebrow. “As true as that is, I never would have expected you to become one, Oli. One of his best men. And at this time, too, when the boss’s turf is expanding. Things are going so well, don’t you think?” Oli kept steady eye-contact during Jordan’s short monologue, and I shifted my glance between the two unsurely. “Let’s make a deal. You hand her over to me, I take her to the boss so she can be used as bait, and I will never tell a soul about your treason. Sound good?” Within seconds my heart somehow got lodged in my throat, and I found it hard to breathe as I took in the smile on Oli’s face. He was going to agree, and I would never see my dad again, and I was going to get killed.

Just as I was about to bolt out of my seat and call Jaime, Oli spoke. “If you lay a single finger on her, I swear to God, I will fuckin’ murder you.” My shoulders slumped as I sighed a breath of relief, but they were still staring into each other’s eyes with such burning intensity, it was difficult to look away. After heaving a sigh, Jordan shot Oli a disappointed look. “I see,” he spoke dryly, unlacing his fingers in front of him. The stool screeched along the polished floor as he stood, and Oli did the same while I remained seated. “Then you know what I will have to do, brother,” Jordan said, this time quietly. For the first time during his invasion of our privacy, something resembling regret shone in his eyes. Oli did nothing but nod wordlessly. “I expect nothing less.” With a final meaningful glance exchanged between the two, Jordan exited the restaurant, leaving an air thick with tension between us. 

The following silence was deafening. None of the other costumers had taken notice of the small quarrel, much to my relief, but the waitress had enough sense to stay away until she was beckoned. I silently caressed the cool cutlery with the tip of my fingers while watching Oli out of the corner of my eye. He seemed deep in thought, chewing on his lower lip nervously, and it took a few moments for me to gather enough courage to break his reverie. “What was that all about?” 

His dark eyes snapped up to level with my own. “What… exactly has your father told you about his work?” he countered, gauging my response attentively. I shrugged. “Not much. It’s usually a topic ‘not meant for me’,” I answered with a frown, trying (and failing) to not let my disappointment shine through too much. Oli leaned back in his chair, rubbing the smooth skin of his jaw with his hand thoughtfully before replying: “Then I guess it’s not my place to tell you.” Of course it wasn’t. It wasn’t anyone’s place to tell me a damn thing except for my dad, and he never opened up about anything. His eyes softened, and I mentally cursed my genetic for making me so cute. My frustration and anger and frowns were always met with coos and hugs and chuckles, and I was never taken seriously. “When the time is right, he will probably tell you everything you need to know,” he spoke in a low voice, and the sincerity of his eyes was far too genuine for my liking. 

A brief moment later, I gave in. “I guess you’re right,” I mumbled, finally uncrossing my arms from my chest and leaning back into a comfortable position, just as Oli had done previously. A small smile played at the edge of his lips, and he leaned over to ruffle my hair, much to my displeasure. “Of course I’m right. I’m Oli fuckin’ Sykes, mate,” he joked, causing me to giggle. The heavy atmosphere had all but dissipated, until the smile on his face dropped and he rested his head on his arms folded on the table. “I’m in so much trouble.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This is a story that I’ve been thinking of putting out there for a while, but I don’t really know whether it’s good or not… So please leave a comment saying whether you like it or not, and I will continue to update as often as possible :)


End file.
